SPARTA is the annual publication produced by the Trinity Western University Athletics Department, telling the stories of our Spartan community.
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Words | Mark Janzen
Photographs | Jenaya Robertson & Scott Stewart

It's 1 a.m. and Trevor Pridie is still aglow. The first-year Trinity Western head coach led the Spartans men's basketball team to a weekend sweep of visiting MacEwan University in early-December. It's Pridie's first two wins as a university bench boss and the back-to-back victories mark the team's first wins in nearly two calendar years. The environment was electric inside TWU's on-campus David E. Enarson Gym. The student section jumped like the old days and the high-flying Spartans hit triple digits on both nights. 

Amidst the on-court celebrations on both nights was a jubilant Aaron Paetkau. His big smile graced his face. This and the third-year forward from Parksville, B.C. hadn't stepped on the floor once all weekend. 

That's why Pridie is texting Paetkau – the quintessential Spartan – at 1 a.m. 

Aaron, I appreciate you and wish I got you in this weekend….Appreciate you…I believe in what you can do to help this team. Thanks for everything and just being a great professional.

You're such a big part of this team and rebuilding this culture and team.

At 7:51 the next morning, Paetkau responded. 

Thanks coach. I'm happy the team got the wins, that's all that matters. Congratulations on your first sweep. Well deserved and (the) first of many. 

That's Paetkau. 

As three Spartan coaches said on three separate occasions: "He's the type of person you want your son to be like and your daughter to marry."

Paetkau entered the 2019-20 season with plans to be part of something special. With Pridie at the helm and only six players returning from the year before, Paetkau was seen as a key piece, both on and off the court, in creating a renewed culture within the men's basketball program at TWU. 

Since arriving in Langley, B.C., he had embraced the school in every way and was a leader on campus, hosting a Bible study throughout the 2018-19 school year. He intended to help foster a deep sense of Christ-centred community within the men's basketball program. In his third year with the team, he planned and followed through with leading a Bible study with his team. He was also on trajectory to be an impact player on the court. 

However, prior to the start of the season, Paetkau's athletic career was nearly derailed.

Paetkau's mother, Jean Paetkau (Gourlay), who graduated from TWU in 1984, lives with an enlarged aortic root in her heart. In recently years, a doctor suggested Aaron and his siblings be tested to see if they too had the condition. Aaron got tested in the fall of 2019 and the results showed that he also has an enlarged aortic root. With only a month to go before the season was set to begin, he was advised to stop any physical activity. Until a decision was determined with if or how he could proceed athletically, Paetkau was sidelined. At the height of basketball-playing career, he was forced to stop. And wait. 

After several different consultations and discussions with doctors and his family over the course of a few weeks, it was determined that it would be safe for him to return to the court. However, the delay set Paetkau back. Having missed a few vital preseason weeks, what looked like the start of a breakout season turned into Paetkau just getting his timing back and re-establishing his fitness.

But, for Paetkau, it wasn't the crushing blow so many players would have felt. For Paetkau, he has long believed God brought him to TWU to be more than just an on-court performer.
 

Aaron's mom, Jean, had always wished one of her children to attend her alma mater. 

However, Aaron had never really imagined it would be him. 

He was a competitive swimmer in his younger days, but switched to basketball as his high school years approached. 

"The team dynamic was something I was always drawn to," he says. "Being able to play and grow in relationship with friends was something that I loved. I loved working hard and having fun with a bunch of teammates."

In December of his Grade 12 season, he enjoyed a breakout weekend playing with Ballenas Secondary in the Sutherland Sabres Holiday Classic in North Vancouver, B.C. He team – one that was typically far-removed from the B.C. high school basketball spotlight – unexpectedly won the tournament and Paetkau, who averaged a double-double throughout the event, was named the tournament's MVP.

Yet, what does Paetkau remember just as fondly as winning? The post-tournament trip to Denny's. 

"Coming over and beating some of these highly-ranked teams in our division was pretty cool," Paetkau says. "But that being said, the moment that sticks out was after one of the games, going to dinner with the whole team. That was just as significant – spending time with teammates and celebrating with big plates of breakfast food."

A few months later, after his team's season had come to an end, Paetkau attended an identification camp with the TWU men's basketball team in the spring of 2016. It went okay. "I honestly thought I wasn't the best player there though," he recalls.

He remembers a conversation with his dad while they drove back to the ferry to return home.

"I told my dad that if I get on this team, it's not going to be because of how I played. It's going to be because of God's desires. Then, not long after (former men's basketball coach) Aaron (Muhic) reached out to me and wanted to bring me back. I took that as God placing me here."

A few weeks later, Paetkau joined a scrimmage back at TWU. Following the game, Muhic drove him back to the ferry. Upon arriving at the ferry terminal, Muhic took out a piece of paper and offered Paetkau a small scholarship. Muhic told him to take it to his family and consider the offer. Paetkau had a different idea.

"No," he said. "I want to sign right now."

Paetkau signed the letter of intent on the roof of Muhic's car. 

"It was a dream come true to play basketball at this level and play basketball at this school.

"I loved the community aspect and that faith was a priority and that there was an intentionality about building strong Christian leaders. Being surrounded by a community of Christians and growing in relationship with strong Christian men was something I was craving."

He was also being called to TWU to serve.
 

Over the span of his first three years, he's averaged 10.8 minutes per game and 1.8 points per game. While this past season was statistically his least productive, averaging 8.7 minutes per game and 1.3 points per game, it was, unquestionably, his most impactful year as a Spartan. 

"I've tried to help improve the culture of the locker room dynamic and I think we've seen some positive strides," says Paetkau, who is a year away from finishing his Education degree. "I think the off-court is just as important as the on-court work and I'm excited for where the program is heading."

He led his team's Bible study, but his role within the team was more about those little conversations.

"He's kind of a quiet guy, but he's a really good listener. I think he's a really easy guy to talk to about stuff. He's dependable and reliable. He embraces his role and he does it really well." 

Following his return to the court in the fall, Paetkau was the ultimate teammate. He does the small things. He's the type of veteran guy who puts the balls away at the end of practice. At the same time, he exuded an almost unparalleled work ethic on the court 

"He was always working hard and getting in extra lifts. Any mistake he ever makes is an honest mistake. It's never a lack of effort. He's just at a different level of professionalism and his level of commitment was really powerful."

He efforts were recognized in the Spartans year-end awards, as he was the male winner of TWU's Bahta Melles Servant-Leader of the Year Award.

"My relationship with God is foundational in my life and being able to share that on my team has been really special," Paetkau says. "I see that as something that is foundational for growing our culture and for propelling this team to where we know we can be – it's about having a close-knit family community in the locker room. Creating a space where guys can be vulnerable and share what's going on in their life allows for that deeper connection off the court, which translates to a productive and trusting team on the court."

Paetkau will return to TWU this fall for one final year. On the court, he plans to expand his role. With a full summer of preparation, he has every intention to be more of an impact player. Yet, his role will remain.
And about that award he won. Well here's the story. 

Bahta Melles was a well-loved member of the TWU Athletics Department for 24 years. He was an example to all he met of what it meant to be a servant-leader. Bahta connected with students in a way that was unique to each one and was known for his care and concern for everyone else's needs above his own. It was impossible to know Bahta without knowing that he cared for others. Although he has been retired as the Gym Facilities Supervisor since 2001, we wanted to keep Bahta's spirit of servant-leadership alive in the Department by presenting an award in his name.

Well, that's Paetkau. 

Aaron Paetkau's story is the fifth piece of an extensive 14-part series, detailing the people and the stories that make up Spartan Athletics. 

Print copies of the SPARTA magazine are available for purchase. All proceeds go to Spartan families in need.

Previously Posted Stories from SPARTA
Being Jean Laforest | by Bailey Broadbent 
Being Servants | by Mark Janzen
Being Isaac Labelle | by Bailey Broadbent
Being a Spartan | by Michaella Crema